Cruel Fate?
by The Flying Pen
Summary: REPOSTED!! A/U - V/B, G/C, K/18 - What happens when tradition on Planet Vegeta forces the Prince to pick a mate of the same age? Against her will, Bulma is taken to the Palace. After Vegeta Chooses, will his Guards (Kakarot/Krillin) get the leftovers?
1. Cruel Fate

:::Author's Note:::

Ok everyone, I'm back.  ^_^ Let me explain what happened.  Apparently, at the last update, the EPILOGUE, the Administrator's of Fanfiction.net read my story, or something, and said I didn't follow ff.net guidelines.  Since they didn't tell me WHAT I did, I'm supposing it was the lemon scenes.  They took "Cruel Fate?" off the site completely and grounded me from updating til today.  I've been trying, believe me.

Now, I've found some of these chapters again, and as I read through them, I have to admit I cringed a little.

Alright, a lot.

But "Cruel Fate?" was my FIRST attempt at writing a fan fiction.  And as I read the first chapters over…well, let's just say it took well over 30 minutes to edit this one.  *nose wrinkles*  PLEASE forgive me, I had no idea it was they were this bad!!  U.U;;  So I'm going to revise them, add more depth, more character…I'll probably do this to all the chapters I update, so if the posting's not as fast as it should be, I apologize.

Understand that "Cruel Fate?" will follow the same plot line (with out lemons so it doesn't get removed again) except edited.  I don't want to make you re-read the WHOLE story, so I'm not going to add any new plot to it.  ^_^  This is for my own good.  So I can sleep tonight.  ^_~

Hmm…and I'll probably take out all the Author's Notes in the beginning and end of the chapters to make it flow.  Those were only good if people were waiting for the next update anyhoo, and now it's complete!! *sniffle*  My baby's all grown up...  

OK, sorry!  Now enjoy!!! 

~The Flying Pen~

Disclaimer:  No, I own none of these people, planets, etc. etc.  They all belong to the wonderful mastermind himself, Akira Toriyama.  I just get the wonderful job of molding them into my omniscient will as an Authoress.  *grins evilly*    

Chapter One: Cruel Fate

Bulma grabbed the nearest thing accessible and flung it at her bedroom door.  The picture frame created a smoking hole where it connected with the wood.  _I don't believe this!_  She thought, as laser beams from her eyes began to melt a picture of her mother resting beside her bed.  _Arg! How could she do this to me? I'm not a piece of meat she can pawn off at the nearest market!!_

Downstairs, her father and mother cringed as they heard every piece of furniture that belonged to their daughter get smashed and broken.

"Perhaps we should have kept her age a secret, dear."  Dr. Briefs muttered to his wife, who stood staring at the pile of debris collecting at the foot of the steps.  

"But," the dense female muttered, totally confused at her daughter's behavior, "I just don't understand!" 

Bulma heard that and opened her door for the first time since her mother had told her the "happy" news.  

"YOU _WOULDN'T_ UNDERSTAND!  YOU WANTED TO BE HUNTED THE DAY OF YOUR COMING TO AGE CEREMONY!  I DON'T WANT THAT!  NOW I HAVE NO FUCKING CHOICE!" The door slammed shut and Bulma threw herself onto her bed, refusing to cry because of the cruel hand fate had dealt her.  

Her mother blinked and turned around to face her mate.  Then forgetting the whole argument, she smiled broadly and said, "Oh well!  He _is_ the Prince of Planet Vegeta!  This is the best for my little girl!  I bet she's just nervous.  She'll get over it.  I always know best."  She kissed her husband and then went to the kitchen, humming happily to herself.  

Bulma's father shook his head.  _How did I fall in love with such an idiotic female?_  Then he spotted her traipsing to the kitchen, her tail swinging seductively behind her.  She turned around and winked at him.

"Honey?  Could you help me _scrub_ the _dishes_?" she purred.

_Oh yeah…now I remember…_  He laughed, following her to the room, his daughter's plight forgotten.

Bulma sat down and slowly began to count to a hundred only to be interrupted by her own raging mind.

_How could she do this to me?  Why did I have to be born on _that _particular day?  _She growled._  Any way I look at it, it's all her fault!_

Bulma had been awakened by her excited mother early that morning.  It turns out that the Prince Vegeta is turning sixteen in exactly one year and a week, to the day, same as Bulma.  By Royal Decree, and following the tradition that the planet had for centuries, every un-Hunted girl the same age as the Prince must present herself to him on his birthday so he could pick a mate from them.  It began with the Legend of the Super Saiyan, and some _dolt_ somewhere in her race's history believed that to achieve a strong heir, the King and Queen must be of the same age, both strong and young when they conceive.    

Of course, the Royal Guards had come to Bulma's town first, it being a first-class city closest to the palace, and since it had been so early in the morning Bulma had still been asleep, not able to voice her own opinion as her overzealous mother had eagerly agreed to have her daughter ready on the day before the Prince's fifteenth birthday.  That gave her six more days of freedom before she would be forced to report to the palace to spend a whole year of her life in the shadow of tutors, snobby females, and the Prince himself. 

Bulma breathed slowly.  _In. And out. _ It seemed that destiny had decided to be especially cruel to her.  Not only was she a freak to everyone on her planet, but also she would now have to present herself to the Prince, which would make her look like a _desperate_ freak.  And something she had strived for her whole life was not to be dependent on others because of her imperfection.  They had to know that she didn't need or want anyone to help her get through life.

Her mother had been lucky.  She had literally had a line of guys waiting for her to Come of Age on her sixteenth birthday.  But then again, her mother was a beautiful body with no brain.  She had been an easy catch for her dad.  That's what males looked for in a female; beauty, strength, and no brain.    

Unfortunately, Bulma was different than the normal Saiyan female.  This didn't mean guys weren't chasing her, because there was no doubt about the strength of her body or of her status as a First Class.  

She had been born with a deformation.  Her fur was the wrong color.  

Instead of the usual black, or the even rarer red or brown, it was blue.  A bright, cerulean _blue._  Her parents had taken her to countless clinics, numerous doctors, and even tried to dye it black on many occasions.  But whatever they attempted, even if contacts hid the mis-color of her eyes, her eyebrows were still shockingly blue, and so was her tail.

She had grown up at the end of many glares, mostly from other females, since they were jealous of the attention she got from males.  Apparently males seemed to find her hair an exotic difference.  But it had been hard to make friends.  So she had adopted the attitude of "I don't need anybody, don't want anybody" her whole life.  Now this whole situation was making her look desperate enough to sign up for a marriage, with the _Prince_ no less!

She sighed.  _There will be tons of other girls there too.  He'll never pick me._  She had always looked forward to the day when she could choose a mate just like her mother.  He would be strong, and a First Class of course.  Their children would be so strong the whole planet would drop their jaws.  Of course, these were mostly dreams conjured by a little dejected, discolored Saiyan girl, but Bulma had held onto them for some reason.  Love…love was not a popular word in the Saiyan vocabulary.  She tried not to think of what it would be like to be in love and to be loved in return…it was too weird.  Something she'd only heard about in stories.

Her fantasies were brought to an end as she remembered her mother's words:

_"Queen Bulma!  My daughter!  I have no doubt in my mind that the Prince will pick you, sweetie.  You're prettier and stronger and smarter than all the other girls on the whole of Vegeta!!" She squealed.  "And then I'll be a mother to a Queen!!  And then a grandma to a King!  Oh!"_

Now she was being thrust into a possibly one-sided bond, for how could she bond with someone she had only just met?  _If he even chooses you Bulma!  You're acting like already been chosen and bitten, for heaven's sake!! _

The growling of her stomach interrupted her track of thought.  She carefully smoothed the fur of her tail back down and then wrapped it around her left thigh.  She brushed her hair down and then checked her face.  She was flustered from being angry.  Maybe after she ate she could go train to let some of her irritation out.

She walked downstairs and grabbed a food pill, popped it in the heater, and proceeded to heft the huge tray of food outside.  She ate as she headed toward the Gravity Chamber that she and her dad built together.  He was the head scientist from the science division at the palace and was always getting Bulma to help him with his new inventions.  Not that she minded.    

She finished eating as she stepped inside and set the gravity at 50 times that of the planet Vegeta.  She could barely even stand in this level, much less move around, but that was the point.  She had come here denying it the whole way, but she knew what she was going to do.  She shot energy orbs around, recklessly knocking them into walls and attempting to block them as they flew back to her.  

After blasting and dodging, jumping, and scaling walls for a while, she finally had warmed up enough to try it.  Collecting all of her frustration, all her anger, she let it stream from her body in an incredible yell, shooting hundreds of tiny blue orbs of light that she couldn't even control.  They soared around the Chamber randomly hitting her as they reflected off the walls.  She got knocked in the head and hissed in pain as she looked up.  All the orbs were gathering together into a huge amount of energy.

"Here it comes," she said, bracing herself for the onslaught by crossing her arms over her face, "Sorry fate, there's no way Bulma Briefs would let you be so cruel-" she was cut off as it flew toward her and hit her entire front side.  

In a moment that energy enveloped her body, casting a bright white light on the interior of the Gravity Chamber and turning Bulma into a hazy shadow in the center of the dazzling beam.  Sound stopped for her as the pressure of the attack compressed her body and she could comprehend nothing but the searing burning sensation of her skin being fried.   

Without a sound her inert body hit the wall and slid slowly to the floor, leaving a trail of crimson against the burnt metallic plane.   

One eye opened…and then another.  At first the only thing she could see was white.  Then her eyesight began to clear, and the ceiling of her bedroom became apparent through the ring of clouds still hanging in her vision. 

_Damn!  It…it didn't work!  Why am I not dead…_  She noticed her room had been cleaned, and her mother was hovering over her, worried to death.  Her father had a look of worry too, until he saw her open eyes.  His face became a cool mask of impatience. 

"It's about time you woke up…" he muttered, gazing out of the window, his arms behind his head.  His only daughter was leaving for a year today.  He had actually been anxious to be able to say goodbye to her before she left…he shook his head.    

Bulma opened both of her eyes and sat up.  A wave of dizziness made her steady herself with a palm to her forehead.    

"Why?" she asked to her father's above statement, still groggy.

"Why?  Oh dear!"  Her mother exclaimed.  "You've been out for a whole week!  We put you in the tank and then let you sleep here, but today you leave for the palace.  Don't you remember, sweetheart?!"

It all came crashing down on her.  _Great…_she thought, crashing back down onto her pillow.  _I'd be better off dead…_

"Now, I've already packed your things and a Royal Guard will be coming to guide you and the other girls from town.  Sweetie, let's get you up and I'll fix you all nice and pretty, OK?"  Bulma's mother grabbed her hand and literally hauled her out of bed.  Her father had already left.  "You take a shower and I'll pick out your armor, alright dear?"

Bulma nodded groggily and got in the hot shower.  She lathered her spiky blue hair and then her cerulean tail, feeling rapturous as the hot water pressure massaged her sore muscles and rinsed away the Healing Tank residue.  With relish she lathered her skin with bubbles and watched them spin down the drain. _ Reminds me of my life somehow…_

When she was finished, she stepped out and dried her hair.  Wrapping a towel around herself, she held up the armor her mother had selected and grinned.  

It was bikini style, with the chest plate stopping beneath her breasts and showing off her great abs.  The panty-style bottom fit over the navy spandex material of the same shape, letting the world see her legs and tail.  _Mom wants me to make a good impression, I see…_she shook head, wet hair bouncing.  _I can't stay mad at her…who could?  She can't comprehend a complex emotion like anger…poor Mom…_

She pulled on her boots and grabbed her bag after messily braiding her hair, flying downstairs to see if she could nab a quick bite to eat before the rest of her meals for the next year were chosen for her.  Who knew what she'd have to eat at this place?!  Just as she entered the kitchen heading for the cookie jar, the fur on her tail pricked up.  Someone was at the door…

She spun around, eyes glaring and tail whipping back and forth behind her.  Out of her peripheral vision she saw her mother sprinting to the door, the woman's tail tightening around her left thigh, the tip flitting now and then in excitement.  Bulma crossed her arms.  It wasn't too late to refuse.  Perhaps she could take this Guard down and make a run for it…she sighed.  That was against the law, and she had to consider the consequences.  Even if she got away, her parents might be punished.  Her dad's job could be on the line.

_Damn it._

Her mother opened the door and grinned up at the Saiyan standing there.  He was tall, handsome, and the speed in which his eyes fastened to her mother's bust line made Bulma blink.  But her perplexed expression quickly turned to anger when he placed the same gaze on her body.  

He wore the Royal Guard emblem on his armor and wicked smile on his face.  He spoke to her mom, though his eyes never once left Bulma's.  _That little…why I aught to…_  Usually someone at least blinked at her discoloration, but this male didn't seem fazed a bit!  His thoughts proved otherwise.

_What the hell?  She's blue…and hot.  The Prince won't want her.  She's too different.  That means in exactly one year and one day, when we're of Age, I can have her.  _He didn't know exactly what he would do once he got her, for he was too young to really know what went on with a coupling, but he did know that other males would be after her.  And what a way to prove yourself to everyone than to catch a female like her?  A gleam appeared in his eye as this thought won over the conversation that ditsy female in front of him was trying to pursue.  He cleared his throat, interrupting the weirdo's mother. 

"Hello.  I'm Yamcha from the Royal Guard.  Is there a Bulma presiding here?" 

Bulma slung her bag over her shoulder. 

_I hate my life…_

*AUTHOR'S NOTE*

Welp, this'll probably be the last one of these Notes until the last chapter, so read it!!  ^_^  I actually just have one thing to say:

Yes, I lost all of my reviews.  Thankfully I had the number tallied at **2503** at the time of this story's deletion.  I know there's no way in HECK I can get those again, so I'll just be content with taking whatever this story gets now and adding it onto that number.  Tee hee.  I'm more than content, though.  I'm ecstatic.  For my FIRST story to get this many reviews?!?!?!

HECK YEAH!!! 

^_^_^_^_^_^_^


	2. No Choices

Author's Notes:  Wow…you guys, I mean WOW.  I can't believe you remembered so much from the first draft!!  And this is so late because I was really at a stand still…I mean, I got some, well, more than some, complaints about the removal of Bulma's suicide mission.  Heh heh… *scratches head* In fact, my dilemma was figuring out if I should leave it there or not…and I decided to.  I went back and RE-reedited Chapter 1.  I had originally taken it out because reading over it…it all seemed so childish.  ^_^;;  It seemed like some really hasty decisions made by a first time author – I mean, suicide in the first chapter?! LoL, oh well, the masses have spoken!!

Chapter Two: No Choices

Though he was handsome, and had battle scars to prove his strength, something about him creeped her out.  Like the way he never looked at her face, just her body.  He knew she wasn't of age yet!  What a perverted Saiyan.  She didn't like the thought of being alone with him on the way to the palace.  But that's when she remembered one of her actual friends would also be coming with them.  Chi Chi.

Bulma almost sighed relief as she hugged her parents good-bye.  She managed a smile, hoping they couldn't smell the hate rolling off her in waves, and then turned around.  Yamcha extended his hand, which she blatantly ignored.  He looked as if he were about to grab her by the neck as she walked by him, smirking evilly.  Once the door was shut he rounded on her.

"Take.  My.  Hand."  His voice was low and dangerous.  

_Ha!  He doesn't scare me.  _

She smiled evilly at him and blithely gave him the finger.  The next thing she knew he had a strangle hold on her.

"You need to learn some respect, _wench_!"  He tightened his grip alarmingly.  Good thing Bulma knew what to say.  She noticed her unalarmed smirk set him off.  His eyebrows lowered, and she saw his lip quiver above his glaring canines. 

"Well, _your highness_, what happens if the Prince does choose me from this little group of whores that volunteered to try and win his favor?  I'll just tell him that you threatened the _future queen's life_ and we'll see how much respect you get-when you're dead!"  Her eyes gleamed maliciously in victory as he let go.  

It's not like he could've hurt her anyway.  She and Chi Chi were the strongest females in the whole city.  _Hmm…is it a coincidence that we we're so strong, have the same birthday, and both absolutely gorgeous?  I think not._  She turned and once again blithely led the Guard.  He did not attack her this time. 

Yamcha was having his own thoughts as they walked to the town square to meet the other Guard and his slut from this town.  _That bitch!  I just now finally got into the Royal Guard and she treats me like any Saiyan she would meet on the street.  _He watched her blue tail swaying in impatience, absently flicking the back of her calf as she crossed her arms.  _Well when Prince Vegeta rejects her, I'll hunt her and make her life a living hell.  Ha!  And he _will_ reject her, if I have anything to do with it!_

Arriving at the square, a tall Saiyan, also from the Royal Guard, held Chi Chi with her arms behind her back.  Bulma had heard her friend's screeching from the front door of her own house.  Not that she hadn't expected something like this from her dark-haired friend.  

"Let go of me you bastard!  I _won't_ stand for this, I won't!  I'm gonna kick your ass as soon as you let go!  Don't think I won't.  Damn it!"  She cursed under her breath and stomped the ground with her foot, creating a spider-web of cracks in the cement.  Then she flung her head around and glared at the house just down the street, her hair whipping the tall Guard in the face.  "I hate you father!  I hope you rot in Hades for all eternity!"  She was breathing hard through clenched teeth as all the blinds went down immediately throughout her house.

"Chi Chi," Bulma said, trying to placate her friend.  The tall Guard holding onto the girl was grimacing from her loud yelling.  "We have to accept this.  The Prince won't pick us; not when he sees us."  She put a hand on Chi Chi's shoulder.  "Then we can return here and have the choice of whatever male we want."  She saw cocoa brown eyes light up, but then darken as they spotted Yamcha.  

"Bulma…" she bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud, "what did you do to him?  He looks ready to kill you."  

Yamcha looked at the fellow Guard and they both sighed.  

"So Kakarot, I see you had to fetch a harpy _too_.  What is it with Saiyans females born on this day?"  Kakarot looked at Yamcha confusedly.

"What did you say?"  He shouted, leaning over Chi Chi towards Yamcha.  "I couldn't hear you!  I think-I think I lost my hearing!"  His eyes widened in worry, and Bulma laughed.  Chi Chi just hmphed and thrust her chin out to the side.  Kakarot turned to her.  "Can I let you go now?  You won't run away again, right?  Now that you _know_ you can't get away from me."  He looked smug, but Chi Chi just bristled more.  

"Damn you, you big jerk!!  You think this is all funny, don't you?"  Tears came to her eyes as she looked back at her house.  "WELL I DON'T!  HEAR THAT FATHER?  I HATE YOU!  I HATE YOU!  I HATE-"

Bulma's hand muffled the screams right before she hugged her.    

"C'mon Chi.  We'll go together.  You and me.  We can talk on the way there."  She nodded to Yamcha and Kakarot.  They both took off the ground and Bulma put an arm around Chi Chi's shoulders as they took to the air, guiding her friend's flight.

"It's not fair.  It's just not fair."  Chi Chi said softly so only Bulma could hear her.  "I had my whole life already planned out, B.  You know that Bulma!  Then I wake up and my _fucking father_ tells me I'm to be auctioned off at some freak show for the prince!  I kicked his ass twice in a row.  Then I screamed and cried…"  She stopped as she noticed tears sliding down her cheeks and chuckled quietly.  "I thought I'd gotten all these out of my system by now…" 

"I know how you feel."  Bulma kept her voice steady as she flew behind Yamcha and Kakarot.  She raised her voice, knowing they'd try to listen in on their conversation; see if they were trying to escape.  "I know how it feels to have all your hopes and dreams come a crash, and your whole life ripped to shreds and thrown on the floor only to be stomped on by your parents and some ARROGANT BASTARD ROYAL GUARDS!"  Both girls giggled as Yamcha and Kakarot looked behind them, frowning.  _Hey, at least she stopped crying…_ Bulma thought as they sped up.

Yamcha shook his head.  "Stupid bitches.  Do we really have to take this crap, Kakarot?"  

Kakarot shrugged his shoulders and looked away.  He felt really bad for doing this.  It had been sad how the female's - Chi Chi's - father had practically thrown her into his arms.  He would never forget the words the old man had spat out before he left...

"Stupid bitch is just like her fucking mother.  Hope the Prince rejects her.  Then she can be used as a slut for the Royal Guards, just like the whore woman who threw her on to me..."  

The man had held no compassion for his daughter, and Kakarot had seen Chi Chi mask her hurt.  Her face had dropped, and those big brown eyes sank shut partway, just before she began screaming his ears off.  Behind that wall of screaming insults, those had been tears.  He thought that might subdue her, until she had tried to escape from him, taking off into the air as soon as stepped out of the door.  He had caught up with her - not as easily as he thought he might - and forced her to wait for Yamcha and the other female.  

He sighed.  All this thinking was hurting his head, and she was the Prince's now.  He shouldn't dwell on her too much.  Though her hair was so long and smelled of roses, and her skin…damn it!  He sped up, and Yamcha had to work to keep up with him.

"Hey Kakarot, slow down!  Why the big rush?  We'll lose the girls going this fast!"  Yamcha slowed down, but Kakarot kept going.  He had to get away from them.  He felt he might show them some kindness and then he would be made a laughingstock of his entire Guard regime.  No, that wouldn't happen again.  He shot off toward the palace.

Yamcha let the girls catch up, and then he took them to the palace, wondering what had caused Kakarot to speed off like there was fire on his tail.

AN – Woah…definitely some major spell boo-boo's here the first time…gomen.  And gomen again for being so friggin' late.  Enjoy.  The next one has to be up sooner (it's kinda impossible for it not to be *nervous laughter*) and OH!—

Go check out my new fic, "Earth Girls are Easy"!!!  I've been told it's good.  ^_~


	3. Freak Show

Author's Note: Yes yes, summer is busy, enjoy!!!

Chapter 3 – Freak Show

Vegeta stared out of his bedroom window, cursing every tree, rock, stone, Saiyan or thing he laid his eyes on.  _Stupid tradition! Having to pick a future mate from a bunch of sluts that just want to be the future queen. _ He shook his head.  That wasn't what was bothering him.  What was bothering him was the fact that none of these girls knew him.  Why would he wish to bond wth one of them?

His grandpa, Vegeta the 8th, had picked a girl that had a head on her shoulders, and he knew she'd be able to handle the responsibilities a queen would have.  He had been lucky to live the rest of his life with her.  His father on the other hand, had decided to go with beauty.  Which was unfortunate for his mother.  

His father couldn't stand her mouth or her intelligence or her strength.  She had talked too much, gotten too many hits on him during their sparring matches, and played too many mind games with him.  As soon as she had given him a son, he had blasted her into oblivion.  _Idiot. _

Vegeta calmed down.  He wouldn't be blinded by beauty.  In fact, he craved the competition more than looks.  If she could hit him a few times when they were sparring, think of witty comebacks when they were fighting, then he decided he wouldn't mind.  He would consider himself _lucky_ if they happened to be just like his mother...  

He cursed again as he saw his Royal Guards dropping off the girls.  Girls his age.  All born on a full moon 15 years and one day ago…

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Kakarot land, without a girl.  _What the?_  The Saiyan seemed to be in deep thought, troubled and even confused.  Then Vegeta watched in wonderment as he took off and flew back the way he had come.

Of all the Guards he had chosen the previous week, Kakarot was the strongest.  But he was also quiet and reserved.  Not much like a Saiyan at all.  He didn't seem to have much upstairs, but he was a good sparring partner.

Like his future mate, all his Guards had to be from the same birth date as he was.  Kakarot was the strongest, and he had picked a few more surprisingly strong ones after him.  Saiyans like Krillin, Yamcha, and Kakarot were strong enough to beat his own father's Guards.  He smirked at that.  

Yet it wavered as he considered the selections he had been forced to make.  Kakarot was strong but too kind to use his power against anyone without being ordered to.  Krillin was strong but extremely short.  He had to be the shortest Saiyan in all history.  And all born on the same day…was there something wrong with him?  He scanned over himself quickly.  _Perfection._  With that in mind, he turned to go meet the Guards arriving.

After Kakarot had come back, Chi Chi and Bulma had softened some toward the Guards, and they weren't crying anymore.  That was a relief.  When they all landed, Yamcha left to see what other kind of girls the other guards had brought.  Kakarot turned to them.

"I'll take you to your bedchambers now." 

"No," the blue-haired one said, Bulma he thought her name was, "we want to meet the other girls being brought here."

Kakarot shrugged.  "Suit yourself.  If you need anything, just come and get me."

They both nodded and then headed to the group of girls which was getting bigger as the day went by.  As a whole they all looked up when they heard the screaming of one in particular.

"I SAID LET _GO_ OF ME YOU PINT SIZED _FRIEK_!  I CAN FLY ON MY OWN!"  Bulma stared in wonder as the shortest Saiyan she had ever seen brought the screaming girl to the ground.  Chi Chi and Bulma looked at each other and then both giggled.  They stopped when they saw the girl.  She had a hood over her head and was in the process of pounding the short guard on his forehead.  As she did this, her hood slowly fell back to rest on her shoulders and reveal a head full of – blonde - hair?!  

The other girls that had been collected gasped.  Blond hair…on a Saiyan?  They turned and looked at Bulma.  Blue hair?  What kind of freaky girl like that would ever win the affections of the Prince?  Murmurs and whispers rose all around, and the blonde girl stopped yelling to quickly pulled her hood back up.  Her eyes were lowered, but she soon spotted Bulma –which was easy because she stood out among all the black heads- and smiled shyly.

Bulma smiled back and waved her over, and so did Chi Chi. Other than the blond hair, the girl seemed perfect.  She seemed strong, and her eyes were black, unlike Chi Chi's, whose were a chocolaty brown.  That was Chi Chi's curse; she was normal except for her eyes.  This blonde girl was normal except for her hair, for her tail was a soft, golden brown.  Bulma was just a freak, with blue hair, a blue tail, _and_ blue eyes.  _Lucky me…_

The girl sat down beside Bulma and looked at her hair.  Bulma decided to start the conversation.

"So.  What's your name?  I'm Bulma, and this is Chi Chi."

The girl looked up, smiling into Bulma's face as she noted the differences in both girls.  "I'm 18.  Nice to meet you two."  Her voice was dull and drawn out, as if bored.  Bulma grabbed her hood and pulled it all the way down, causing 18 to blush vividly.  

"It's ok.  At least it's not _blue_!"  Chi Chi barely dodged Bulma's arm.

"And at least her eyes are black, not brown, you freak!"  Bulma laughed as Chi Chi mocked anger, turning her head up but smiling all the same.  "We make jokes about our differences, 18, so they don't seem so bad.  At least both of your tails are brown!"  And Bulma lifted up her fluffy appendage for all to see.  There were many gasps from the other girls, and some even backed away.  Bulma just laughed at them.  "See?  We're all freaks of nature.  I just got used to the stares and taunts."  

Vegeta had just been talking to the guards when he saw the crowd of wenches gasp and back away from a bench in the garden simultaneously. 

"Hmph!"  Krillin looked over, not like he could really see what was going on unless he levitated higher.  "Probably just a bug or something."  

Kakarot looked concerned though and headed over there, Vegeta following him.  Sitting on the bench was…a blond Saiyan girl?  Yes, his eyes weren't deceiving him!  The color was all wrong!  And then there was a brown eyed one, trying to hold in a fit of laughter at something.  That was when he saw the 'bug'.   

She had blue eyes and blue hair, and she was waving her blue tail ominously in front of the other girls, who were still backing up away from her.  Then he watched in surprise as she jumped forward into the crowd, her tail swinging in front of her, smiling evilly and chasing the other girls even farther back.  And then she laughed, and mocked out loud into the crowd.

"Better watch out!  We're contagious…"  She growled menacingly and then headed back to her seat.  The other two there burst in a fit of laughter, the blue one following.  Vegeta walked right up to them, scowling as he hid his shock at their…deformities.  Kakarot and Krillin were close behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?"  Vegeta growled, looking down at the three.  The blue one shot her head up and her eyes grew wide as she saw the Royal Family emblem blazoned on his chest armor.  The brown-eyed one obviously didn't see it, and was about to open her mouth even as Kakarot shook his head vividly from side to side in warning.  The blue one had noticed though, and clamped her hands over the other girl's mouth, probably saving her life.  

"There was no point, your majesty."  Bulma began to regret her decision to scare the other girls.

"Hmph…" he growled out.  "What are your names, wenches?"  He almost laughed as he saw all their faces grow angry.  The blue one's eyes narrowed and she was about to retort when the blond one grabbed her mouth and clamped it shut.

"I'm 18, this is Chi Chi," who was trying to bite Bulma's fingers, "and that's Bulma…" who was trying to open her mouth and say something that would most likely get them all killed.  Her face was flushed and her eyes sparkled fire as she thought of all the things she could say but wouldn't.  She calmed down and 18 let go of her mouth.

"We are sorry to have disturbed you, _your majesty_."  Bulma's tone sounded as if saying those words pained her.  He just smirked.

"Kakarot.  Krillin.  Keep an eye on these three.  If they do one thing to slip out of line, I think my father's Royal Guards might want to put on an X-rated _freak_ show for each other."  He turned and walked out of the arena, and Bulma held Chi Chi until he was out of hearing.  Then she let go.

"Why I never!  He knows they can't do that!  We're not of Age yet!  He knows that right?  That they can't do that?  What an idiot…"  Chi Chi's face darkened.  "An idiot we're all being auctioned to…"  

Bulma saw Kakarot's face contort with a weird set of emotions.  So he cared.  Krillin looked solemn.  What?  How could the Royal Guards give a damn about what happened to them?  She was never able to find out because just then the rest of the girls had gotten over their fear of the prince and of the 'freaks' and were swarming around both of the young Guards. 

"Oh!  Look how tall and handsome!" 

"No, I like the short one!  He's so cute!"

"Oh!  They're both blushing!"  

Chi Chi's lower lip twitched as she crossed her arm.  "I have a sudden urge for a frying pan…"  


End file.
